FAQ for Pet Owners

Common questions asked by every day pet owners like You

#1. I've never left my pet with a pet sitter before. Is Furwy a good choice?

That is the first question we asked ourselves.

When we set up this community, we wanted to give a new option for pet owners over pet hotels, kennels, pounds and friend or family’s place. Our aim is to create a community of dog, cat and pet lovers who welcome other pets with open arms.

It’s stressful for pets to stay somewhere new, particularly without you around. Rather than stay in a box, cage or confined area, your pet will be much happier staying comfortably in someone’s home with real loving interactions.

Before deciding, review the pet sitter profiles on our site – verified by our team – send them questions, meet them beforehand and at anytime feel free to reach out to us for help.

#2. I would like to visit the pet sitter before placing my pet with him or her. Is that possible?

Definitely, and we encourage a meeting beforehand between the pet sitter, you and your pet.
You can message the pet sitter by clicking on “Meet & Greet” on his or her profile page and request for an initial meeting at a place both of you are comfortable at.
Trust is important, and this is a first step.

#3. What are Furwy Reward Points?

Furwy reward points are points you accumulate based on the bookings you have completed through Furwy.com. Much like Airline or Hotel points, Furwy reward points can be redeemed for discounts, free nights and services and other Pet gifts (coming soon!).

Depending on your location, one unit currency equivalent converts to 0.004 Furwy reward points. If you spent 100 dollars in a pet care service with one of our sitters or groomers, you would earn 1,000 Furwy reward points (x10), that can be redeemed for a 4 dollar discount on your next booking.

#4. Can I only book for a one-night sitting service?

Absolutely. When setting your check in and check out criteria, you can specify the one night and the site will filter through the large offering of pet sitters that match your requirements.

#5. Is it possible to modify or cancel your reservation?

– Flexible Cancellation: Pet Owners may cancel a booking up to 3 days before the service with no penalty. Cancelling a booking within 3 days will subject the Pet Owner to a 50% cancellation fee. Cancelling on the day of the service will forfeit 100% of the payment.

– Moderate Cancellation: Pet Owners may cancel the booking up to 7 days before the service with no penalty. Cancelling a booking with 7 days will subject the Pet Owner to a 50% cancellation fee. Cancelling on the day of the service will forfeit 100% of the payment.

– Strict Cancellation: Once a booking is confirmed, no cancellations are permitted otherwise it will forfeit 100% of the payment.

(starting 1 May, 2019, if a cancellation is made by you after a booking is confirmed by the pet sitter, dog walker or groomer, there will still be a 4% credit card processing charge deducted from the refunded amount).

You may cancel your booking directly from your dashboard. Otherwise, if you would like assistance, you can contact the pet sitter and/or Furwy and provide your booking reference number. We will take the point of cancellation as the time you contacted both the pet sitter and our team.

#6. What happens when my pet gets sick or hurts itself in the care of a pet sitter?

Cases of emergencies are very rare, and we have had zero incidences since we launched our platform – but it’s best to prepare for them.

If you made a qualified booking, your pet will be covered by our premium insurance. If there’s an emergency, the pet sitter will try to contact your immediately, and in the case you may not be reachable, he/she will decide on the best course of action: either to go to the nearest veterinarian or, if possible, go to the pet’s own veterinarian.

(If you made a booking that did not qualify for insurance, you agree to reimburse the pet sitter for any (agreed) veterinary costs in case a visit is required during the period under their care.)

If we get informed of such an unlikely event, our team will be on top of it, and where possible in person, to ensure that we monitor the situation and keep you regularly updated.

#7. Can you tell me more about the Premium Insurance?

Premium insurance is only available in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.

There are no upfront or ongoing costs for you or your pet for our insurance coverage.

However, in order to qualify for automatic coverage, you need to ensure that you have registered your pet’s RFID chip with us before your booking confirmation. Together with this, you must ensure that your selected pet sitter has been verified by us before you submitting your booking request.

We require these two requirements to ensure there is trust and safety for both you as the pet owner and the pet sitter. However, please note that pets with prior conditions, injuries or are considered elderly (12 years of age or above), do not qualify for premium insurance coverage.

In the event that you are not reachable by the pet sitter, you agree under the Terms of Service that Furwy and the pet sitter will make the necessary decision and that you will reimburse the pet sitter for the balance up to the deductible.

#8. Is there a booking fee?

Absolutely no booking fees, zip, zero, none…zilch.

#9. When do I pay?

Our payment processing partners are with Stripe.com and PayPal.com, both are secure, reliable, and convenient. The payment process is fully automated, so neither you as the pet owner nor the pet sitter need to worry about the payments.

When making a booking request, you enter your payment information, at this stage, nothing is charged until the sitter or groomer has accepted your booking request. All payment information inputted are not stored or kept by us, but are rather with Stripe.com or PayPal.com. After the pet sitter has confirmed the booking, the payment amount will be charged to your credit card or PayPal. The pet care giver will receive the balance (minus a 20% Furwy fee) into their Furwy account only after the booking has been completed.

If the Host does not accept your booking request within 48 hours or if they reject it, the booking will be cancelled and you will not be charged anything. Any balances will be returned to your credit card in full.

If you need to cancel the booking, the refund amount will depend on the cancellation policy selected by the pet care giver.

In order to be protected and benefit from premium insurance, Furwy reward points and other perks, we recommend that all transactions be completed through the Furwy platform. Pet sitters registered on Furwy also agree to the Terms of Service and can only accept payment through their Furwy account, failure to do so breaches the Terms of Service and can lead to suspension of their accounts.

#10. Are my payment details safe on the website?

Your payment details are never stored or submitted to Furwy, but are rather to Stripe.com or PayPal.com. We do not keep or store any payment information once you have submitted to our payment processing partners.

For more information, please visit the websites of our payment partners at Stripe.com and PayPal.com.

#11. I'm a little confused, what's the difference between Pet Boarding and the other services?

We’re glad you asked. It does get confusing at times.

– Pet Boarding: means your pet stays over at the Pet Sitter’s home throughout the day and overnight. The pet sitter will take care of your furwy pet in their home and you would have to bring along your pet’s food, toys and other accessories. Alternatively, if the sitter also offers “pet sitting” by visiting your home, that option can be selected as well and should be agreed with the sitter.

– Dog walking: as the name suggests, means the dog walker will come over to pick up your dog for a 1/2 hour walk each slot. They should provide you with the path and locations they will take your dog for a walk, including when and where your doggy may have done it’s business.

– Grooming: means you can bring your pet over to the groomer’s shop or the groomer can come to your place for a bit of cutting and washing as part of their grooming service.

– Unique Services: Finally, each pet care giver also has the option to include unique services that may only appear on their profile (after you have select the main services above). If you come across a service other than the above that you like, and want to keep the pet care giver in mind, make sure you add them to your favorites so you can always go back to him or her at a later date to make a booking.

#12. More questions?

If you have more queries that are not covered in this FAQ section, please send us your questions at [email protected] or via Contact Us.